Youth Worker

Description

Adolescents have it rough most of the time. Your body is all wonky, your emotions all over the place, you are trying to figure out your future, you are reluctant to let go of your past. Throw in a couple of run-ins with the police, some abusive parents, and a bunch of teachers who don't understand you, and you're the ideal candidate for a youth worker.

Youth workers are fantastic people. They work with all kinds of teenagers, from 13-year-olds who have been caught stealing one too many times, to 16 year old rape victims who have run away from home. These workers act as role models, friends, and advocates for the youth that many members of the adult world would rather not have to deal with. They accompany the youth to court, they throw parties for them in group homes. They help their clients with their homework, they sit up late with them at night and talk about their fears and regrets. Youth workers establish trust between themselves and their clients, in order to allow for healing, learning, and development to take place.

Youth workers help their clients in a number of different ways, in a variety of locations. They are on staff at group homes, they work in hospitals, mental health clinics, and shelters. They can be found in schools, in community youth groups, and in private clinics. They meet regularly with their clients, helping them develop strategies for change and development. They hold workshops instructing them in life skills, anger management, and run self-esteem building initiatives, like drama workshops and writing classes. The primary goal of all adolescent workers is to prevent the troubled youth from turning into angry, dysfunctional adults. By building up confidence, improving their educational prospects, and allowing them to trust and share, youth workers are trying to mold their clients into well-adjusted people with bright, positive futures.

Youth workers work as part of a team of social workers, psychologists, recreation therapists, foster care workers, teachers and other professionals. They make sure that the various treatments and efforts of these other workers are helping their clients, they assess their treatment paths, and make recommendations to the other professionals about the youth at risk. This is not an easy job, as each worker may have four or five children under their watchful eye at one time. It takes a dedicated, organized, and passionate individual to become a youth worker.

Interested in a career in youth work? You should be sensitive, honest, and dedicated to helping youth figure out their place in the world. You should be mature, have good self-esteem, and be a creative problem-solver who is able to come ups with solutions and come to decisions quickly and under pressure. You should be flexible, willing to work long hours, and organized enough to balance a number of clients, including documenting their progress, meeting with their other workers, and still have time to take them shopping or listen to their stories.

You need to have excellent observation and communication skills, and be someone who relies on instinct as well as education when it comes to approaching and tackling new challenges. You should also have an interest in social activism, and be ready to act as an advocate during government cutbacks to social programming which will adversely affect your clients, or when communities come down hard on the youth you are trying to help.

Typical Tasks

Interview clients and their families, social workers, and teachers to learn background information

Actively encourage clients to join programs and discussion groups

Assess and investigate eligibility for social benefits and alternative education programs

Meet with clients regularly, giving support and discussing any difficulties or problems

There is no typical day for a youth worker. It all depends on where they work. Usually, though, there will be a lot of discussion, listening, and advising clients. Facilitating group discussions, and planning and implementing recreational activities and life skills workshops will be frequent tasks. The youth worker will spend substantial amounts of time writing reports and conferring with other social workers about their clients.

Workplaces, Employers and Industries

Youth workers are employed where ever there may be adolescents at risk. They may be on staff at community centers, religious groups, young offender correctional facilities, group homes, private clinics, hospitals and mental health clinics, high schools and with government youth development projects. They are primarily government employees, and may be required to work evenings, overnights, weekends, and holidays. When working with at-risk individuals, it is important that their support systems be reliable, and willing to help whenever it is needed--therefore, on-call work can be expected. The youth worker may have an office, with a desk and a computer, but will also do a lot of travelling, visiting the places their clients go, including school, dinners out with parents, and court.

Long Term Career Potential

There are many options for youth workers. You can move up the ranks, becoming a supervisor or director of a program, center, or group home. You can enter private practice, work for a school board, or different government agencies. You can always become a speaker in schools, community centers, and parent support groups, or run workshops. There is of course the option of returning to school and becoming a social worker, or a family counsellor, teacher, or professional social activist, fighting on behalf of your former clients' rights.

Educational Paths

While full-fledged social workers require a four-year university degree in social work, youth workers usually can get started with a diploma in child and youth care, or community service diploma with a focus on youth studies. This is the minimum requirement for youth workers in the USA, however, if you plan on moving on, additional courses, volunteer experience, or some university courses in social work and psychology aren't a bad idea.

Some states offer certification programs, which may or may not be mandatory upon graduation from your program. It is a good idea to contact the youth work department at the school you are planning on attending to find out your state's certification requirements.

Simmons University’s online Master of Social Work program can be completed in as few as 15 months, and GRE scores are not required.

Programs Offered:

Master of Social Work

Regis College

As a leader in education, Regis is dedicated to offering programs with a holistic view of health services that are designed for the future of the field. Through cutting-edge coursework, industry-active faculty members, and an array of majors and graduate programs, Regis has been able to positively impact the educational community, health services landscape, and personal lives of students nationwide.

Programs Offered:

Online Master of Social Work

Colorado State University-Global Campus

Colorado State University-Global Campus

Colorado State University-Global Campus (CSU-Global) offers career relevant bachelor’s and master’s degree programs for working adults and nontraditional learners.

Programs Offered:

BS - Human Services

Columbia International University

For nearly a century, Columbia International University has educated people from a biblical worldview to impact the nations with the message of Christ.

Programs Offered:

Bachelor of Science in Human Services

Associate of Arts in Human Services

Purdue University Global

Building on Purdue's mission to provide greater access to affordable, world-class education, Purdue University Global delivers a fully personalized online experience that's tailored to working adults.

Top-ranked by U.S. News & World Report, the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work offers its innovative Master of Social Work program online so students can make a lasting positive impact in their communities.